Investigations of soil-structure interaction during dynamic landing procedures of extraterrestrial landing platforms.

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Tim Pucker
• Subject Area: Geotechnics, Hydraulic Engineering
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 560360186

The interest in extraterrestrial exploration is increasing worldwide. In addition to probes flying through space and satellite systems orbiting Earth, the Moon, or Mars, ground-based exploration systems are increasingly being used. These systems can conduct investigations either as stationary systems, known as landers or landing modules, or as mobile systems, such as rovers. Soft landers, which are landing systems with landing legs, have already been successfully deployed on the Moon, Mars, and the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In this research project, the interaction between the landing feet (footpads) of soft landers and the surface material (soil) of extraterrestrial objects, such as the Moon and Mars, is being studied during the landing process. For this, model tests and numerical simulations of the landing process of the soft landers’ footpads on the lunar surface are being conducted. Key influencing parameters, such as the geometry of the footpads, terrain slope, landing velocity, and soil properties, are varied to demonstrate their respective effects on the structural load of the landing gear. Based on the results, a simplified interaction model for the structure-soil interaction will be developed, which will be used in the design of future soft landers. This is intended to significantly improve the accuracy of landing predictions, reduce the risk of damage during the landing process, and enable a more economical design.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants